Bilge block reeving system

ABSTRACT

A system for reeving bilge blocks mounted on tracks or guides in a dry-dock arrangement is described having an unique cable system allowing for the single, simultaneous power source driving of complemental bilge blocks toward a ship&#39;&#39;s hull, away from a ship&#39;&#39;s hull and in the same direction relative to each other.

Umted States Patent 1 1 1 1 3,878,688

Purvis 1 Apr. 22, 1975 [54] BILGE BLOCK REEVING SYSTEM 1.235.089 7/1917Wiking 114/45 5] n ento Jo Colin Pur is Gautie Miss. ,3l4 ..00 3/1943Drake 114/45 [73] Assignee: Litton Systems, Inc., Beverly Hills. PrimaryExaminerTrygve M. Blix Calif. Assistant E.\'uminer-Gregory W. OConnor[22] Filed: Jan. 7, 1974 Attorney, Agent, or F1rmA1an C. Rose; Thomas A.

Turner, Jr.

[21] Appl. No.: 431,435

[57] ABSTRACT [52] 11.5. C1 61/66; 114/45 A y m f r r eving bilge lo k mn on tracks [51] Int. Cl. B63c 1/00; B63c 1/10 Or guides n a ryck rr ngm n is described h [58] Field of Search 1 14/45; 61/66, 64 ing an uniquecable system allowing for the single, si-

multaneous power source driving of complemental [56] References Citedbilge blocks toward a ship's hull, away from a ships UNITED STATESPATENTS hull and in the same direction relative to each other.

334,563 1 /1886 Bulman 61/66 10 C a 4 Drawing igur s PArENTEmPnzzizs sum3 qF IHI BILGE BLOCK REEVING SYSTEM BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Drydocks are used for supporting a vessel while water has been removed fromaround the sides and bottom of the vessel. In normal drydockingoperations, a ship is floated into a selected area, the selected area issealed off and the water within the sealed area is removed. Normally theship is prevented from listing by bilge blocks arranged to support theship. Usually a ship rests on the bottom of the dry dock, having itskeel aligned with keel blocks fixed along the longitudinal center of thedry dock. Supporting bilge blocks on either side of the keel blockssupport the vessel in an upright position. Throughout the specificationand claims herein of this invention, the word dry dock" will be usedinterchangeably with the word graving dock. Both of these terms shall beused herein throughout to include not only permanent land structure-typedry docks such as, for example, railway-type docks and synchroliftsystem-type dry docks, but also dry docks which are capable of beingfloated. A railway-type dock is normally a cradle supported on wheelswhich run on a track or rail positioned on an inclined surface into thewater. The cradle arrangement is moved into and out of the water on therail or track, and a ship is normally positioned on the cradle. Asynchrolift system normally involves a platform on which a vessel can bedocked. In the synchrolift system, the platform having a vessel thereonis elevated out of the water for easy access to normally submergedparts.

Normally, a floating dry clock has ballast tanks within the sides, andsometimes the bottom portion thereof into which either air or water canbe pumped so as to ballast the dry dock at any desired position orlevel. It is not uncommon for a floating dry dock to actually liftvessels mounted therein.

Normally, dry docks and graving docks are constructed so as to have onedimension considerably larger than the other dimension. Hereinthroughout the specification and claims, reference to the longitudinaldirection will be intended to mean a reference to that directionparallel to the longitudinal direction of a vessel which would beexpected to be dry-docked within the dry dock or graving dock structure.Likewise herein throughout, reference to a transverse direction shallmean a reference to that direction athwartship of a vessel which wouldbe expected to be dry-docked within the dry dock or graving dockstructure. Of course, the transverse direction will, in almost allcases, be perpendicular to the longitudinal direction.

In the prior art it has been known to mount bilge blocks upon tracks orguides positioned transversely on the bottom portion of a dry dock.Thus, when a ship has been sealed within the graving dock, a bilge blockcan be transported along such a transverse rail until it engages thehull of the vessel being docked. It has been known to use cables, chainsand pulley systems to advance the bilge block toward the hull of thevessel. Hereinafter, the word cable will be used to describe both acable and any other instrument which operates similarly to a cable suchas, for example, chains, ropes, wires, and the like. If a cable has beenreeved to an above-water drive portion, the bilge block towhich it isattached can be maneuvered to engage the vessels hull without the needof divers going underneath the ship before the water is extracted fromthe graving dock. It is very common in modern dry-docking andgraving-docking operations to employ the use of divers to make sure thatthe bilge blocks are in the desired positions relative to the shipunderneath the water level. In this regard, attention is directed to theU.S. Pat. No. 3,370,433 to Burnett.

It has not been known before nor has it been shown, however, to operateoppositely disposed, complemental bilge blocks, that is, those bilgeblocks on directly opposite sides of the vessel, from the same powersource. It has not been shown or before known, also, to reeve bilgeblocks disposed on opposite sides of the keel to a resting position onone side of a dry clock by a unitary or single power source.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A dry dock for oceangoing or other types offloating vessels is described. The dry dock is specially constructedwith pairs of rails or trackway disposed transversely or athwartship thedock. Bilge blocks placed on these tracks are connected by single cableconnecting arrangement threaded through particularly placed pulleys sothat the bilge blocks can be operated in the manner described either totravel toward each other toward the longitudinal center of the dock, tobe urged away from the longitudinal center of the dock simultaneouslytoward the outside edges or perhaps walls of the dry dock, or to bepositioned both on either side of the dry dock.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective viewof a dry dock embodying the invention, with a ship shown in phantomtherein;

FIG. 2 illustrates a plan view schematic of the invention as shown inFIG. 1, without the phantom ship;

FIG. 3 illustrates a cutaway view of one of the elements of theinvention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a fragmentary view of the invention in schematicform.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS To solve the foregoing problemsand to achieve the foregoing desired results, a dry dock or graving dock10 is described, reference being had to FIG. 1 of the drawings. Dry dock10 is composed of a bottom section 16 and a permanent wing wall 12. Anoppositely disposed wing wall 14 is shown. Oppositely disposed wing wall14 may be permanent or may be severable, either, according to presentlyknown technology. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,670,682 to Leavitt.Transversely, or athwartship of the bottom section 16, rail pairs 18, 19are positioned. Dry docks not having wing walls may benefit from thisinvention, also.

Rail pairs 18, 19 are shown as tracks in the plan view of FIG. 2. Eachpair of rails 18, 19 is designed, according to the teachings of thepresent invention, to have mounted thereon two bilge blocks 17 shownrepresentatively in FIG. 2. The bilge blocks 15, 17 are connected toeach other and to the dry clock by a cable 20, see FIG. 1, which will bedescribed in more thorough detail below.

Atop the wing wall 12, a power system 34 is attached. Power system 34drives drive rod 32. The drive system 34, preferably, may drive thedrive rod 32 in either a clockwise or a counterclockwise motion aboutthe drive rod axis. as desired. The drive rod 32 is mounted between thepower source 34 and an end bearing 36, and runs through clutch housings30. Clutch housings 30 are disposed along the top of wing wall 12, oneof each of such clutch housings being positioned for each of the tracks,or rail pairs 18, 19.

The clutch house assembly 30 is shown in more detail in the cutaway viewshown in FIG. 3. There, the rod 32 is shown passing through the clutchhousing 30 through journal openings 50. Rigidly attached to the driverod 32 within. each housing 30 is a beveled fly wheel 48. Also passingthrough each housing 30 is a pulley axle 24, which passes through thehousing 30 at journal opening 52. Axle 24 has clutch plate 42 rigidlyattached to it within the housing. Axle 26 within the housing 30 hasattached thereto clutch plate 40 and fly wheel 46. The fly wheel 46 isbeveled so that it will be driven by complementally beveled fly wheel 48when the beveled ends of these wheels 46, 48 are forced into engagementone with the other. Clutch plates 40 and 42 are disposed adjacent oneanother so that power will be transmitted freely from axle 26 to axle 24when the clutch plates 40, 42 are forced into engagement one with theother.

The clutch plates 40, 42 and fly wheels 46, 48 are forced intoengagement each with eachs respective complemental component by thedepression of lever 38. Lever 38 is biased by spring 44 against stop 54.When in its spring biased setting, as shown in the left portion of FIG.3, the lever 38 causes the clutch plates 40, 42 and the fly wheels 46,48 to be separated from each other.

When a force 58, as shown in FIG. 3, is applied to the lever 38, clutchplates 40, 42 are forced into engagement with each other. Consequently,the beveled ends of fly wheels 46, 48 are forced into engagement witheach other. Rotating force is then transmitted from drive rod 32 throughfly wheel 48 to fly wheel 46. R-

tating force is then instantaneously transmitted from fly wheel 46through axle 26, thence through engaged clutch plates 40, 42 to axle 24.The lever 38 will return by the force of its spring 44 to the positionas shown in the left portion of FIG. 3 in the drawings.

Alternatively, lever 38 may have force 56 applied to it by use of an,off-center cam 39 positioned to engage the lever 38 upon being turned toone position. In FIG. 3, the cam 39 is shown in such a position that theclutch plates 40, 42 are not engaged. It can be seen, however, that whenthe cam 39 is rotated about its off-center axis of rotation, the cam 39will apply the desired force 56. Lever 38 could be mounted in verticalalignment so as-to be operable from above a deck.

Pulley 22 is attached to axle 24 on the outside of housing 30. Whenrotating force is being transmitted to axle 24, pulley 22 is caused torotate. Cable 20 is threaded through pulley 22, and is connected throughthe-various pulleys shown in FIG. 4 to the bilge blocks l5, l7.

Cable 20 is threaded around pulley 92, thence through stationary pulley80, thence through moveable pulley 82 which is attached to a first ofthe bilge blocks 15, thence to the second of the bilge blocks 17. Thecable 20 emanating from the other side of pulley 22 is threaded aroundpulley 90, thence through pulley 88 attached to the opposite end of thefirst bilge block 15. Cable 20 is then threaded through stationarypulley 86 on the wing wall 12 side of the bottom section 16, thence itis threaded through stationary pulley 84 fixed to the wing wall 14 sideof the bottom section 16, thence it is attached to the second bilgeblock 17 on the opposite side than where the other end of cable 20 isattached.

The unique bilge block system as above described operates in thefollowing manner. A ship, such as is shown in phantom in FIG. 1, isfloated into the dry dock 10. The keel of any such ship is carefullycentered as best as can be determined in the murky and oftentimesunclear water. The bilge blocks l5, 17 rest upon the tracks or rails l8,19 at the outside edges of the tracks or rails 18, 19, one on eithertransverse end. Power source 34 is then activated to rotate drive rod 32from the power source 34 end. As pressure 56 is asserted upon lever 38,causing clutch plates 40, 42 to engage each other, fly wheel 46 isengaged to fly wheel 48. The force transmitted through the fly wheels46, 48 and axles 26, 24 cause pulley 22 to rotate in a clockwisedirection, when facing pulley 22 from outside the housing 30. Thisrotation of pulley 22 causes the cable 20 to move in the directions ofarrows 60, 62, 63, 64, 66, and 68. This action of the cable 20 togetherwith the stationary pulleys 80, 84, 86 cause the bilge blocks 15, 17 tobe forced toward the center of the tracks 18, I9, as indicated by thearrows 70, 72.

The bilge blocks 15, 17 will proceed so until they engage the hull ofthe ship on either side thereof. A potential problem may arise when onebilge block engages the hull of the ship before its complemental,oppositely disposed bilge block engages the opposite, athwartship sideof the hull. Because the pulleys 82 and 88 continue moving in spite ofthe stationary position of either of the complementally disposed bilgeblocks, the unengaged complemental bilge block continues to move if thecable 20 continues to be driven, until the complemental bilge blockengages its respective ship hull.

When the repairs on the ship have been accomplished and the water hasrefilled the confines of the dry dock, the bilge blocks 15, 17 can beremoved from engagement with the ships hull sides merely by reversingthe direction of the drive rod 32 by power source 34. Then, as eachlever 38 is caused to transmit the rotary power from drive rod 32 to thecable 20, the cable will move in the direction opposite the arrows shownby reference numerals 60, 62, 63, 64, 66, and 68. Each complementalbilge block 15, 17 on the tracks l8, 19 are then urged to theirrespective outside ends of the tracks 18, 19. When the bilge blocks l5,17 have sufficiently disengaged from the ship's hull, the ship then canbe maneuvered out of the dry dock l0.

If desired, and if the power source 34 is sufficiently large enough, allof the pulleys 22 can be driven at the same time. It may be moredesirable, however, to have each set of complemental bilge blocksoperated separately so as to give the mechanics and other operators anopportunity to carefully oversee the engagement of each set of bilgeblocks with the hull.

Once the ship has left the dry dock 10, it may be desired to positionboth bilge blocks 15, 17 on one athwartship side of the dry dock. Such aresting position is especially desirable in the more modern dry dockswhich have one of their wing walls detachable for side mounting shipsthereon. Such a desired end can be easily accomplished by the pulleysystem described herein. For example, once the bilge blocks have reachedthe outside end of the tracks I8, 19 by driving the cable 20 in thedirection opposite the arrows shown generally in FIG. 4, the bilgeblocks l5, 17 will reach a stop, not shown, erected at each of theathwartship ends of the tracks 18, 19. An additional stop is theninserted at the inboard side of that bilge block on the permanent wingwall 12 side. The cable is then driven in the direction of the referencearrows shown, and the bilge block 17 will be urged toward the other.This urge will continue until the complemental bilge block 17 abutts thestationary bilge block 15 on the opposite end of the track.

Permanently fixed pulley 80 can be positioned anywhere along thetransverse track 18, 19. In the preferred embodiment of the invention,however, pulley 80 is positioned on the extreme sideof the dock or endof the track 18, 19 in a position roughly comparable to fixed pulley 84.In such a manner, the bilge blocks can be moved to the starboard side ofthe track l8, 19 as shown in FIG. 4 of the drawings. The procedure formoving the bilge blocks 15, 17 to the starboard side or edge of track18, 19 is the same as that described above for moving the bilge blocksl5, 17 to the port side of the dock, except that the direction of thecable move ment is reversed. Moreover, a stop must be placed on theinboard side of bilge block 17 when the bilge blocks are removed to thefarthest outside edges of the track l8, 19 at the end of the first stageof the bilge blocks movement. The cable 20 is then reversed in directionwith the effect that bilge block 15 is moved to the starboard side ofthe dock alongside bilge block 17.

In such a manner, it can be appreciated, two bilge blocks positionedcomplementally on opposite ends of an athwartship track in a dry dockcan be urged by a single power source toward a ships hull in the centerof such a dry dock from opposite ends of the dry dock.

Conversely, when it is desired to disengage the bilge blocks on oppositeends of the ships hull, the bilge blocks can be so disengaged by asingle power source. In such a manner, considerable time and monetarysavings can be realized by requiring only a fraction of the number ofpower sources, and only a fraction of the number of personnel requiredto operate the complemental bilge blocks as opposed to presently knownstructures.

I claim:

1. Reeving means for moving bilge blocks, comprising in combination:

a. a first bilge block moveably positioned on a track;

b. cable means connecting moveably said first bilge block to a secondbilge block moveably mounted on said track; and

c. said cable means further connecting said first bilge block and saidsecond bilge block to a single powered cable moving source for movingsaid first bilge block and said second bilge block selectively towardeach other and away from each other upon actuation of said cable movingsource.

2. Means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cables means include a cableconnected to one side of said first bilge block and threaded thencethrough a first pulley. said first pulley fixed to said second bilgeblock, threaded thence through a second pulley stationarily fixed,threaded thence through said powered cable moving source, threadedthence through a third pulley, said third pulley fixed to said secondbilge block, threaded thence through a fourth pulley stationarily fixed.threaded thence through a fifth pulley stationarily fixed, connectedthence to an opposite side of said first bilge block.

3. Means as claimed in claim 2 wherein said fourth pulley is fixedapproximately at one end of said track. and said fifth pulley is fixedapproximately at the opposite end of said track.

4. Means as claimed in claim 3 wherein said second pulley is fixedapproximately at the same end of said track as said fifth pulley.

5. A dry dock for dry-docking a vessel, said dry dock including at leasta bottom portion having a longitudinal direction parallel to alengthwise axis of a vessel to be supported thereon, and a transversedirection parallel to an athwartship axis of said vessel, said dry dockcomprising:

a. at least one track disposed in a transverse direction of said bottomportion;

b. a first and a second bilge blocks movably positioned on said track;and

c. a single cable connecting in a pulley system said bilge blocks and aselectively operable cable driving means, said single cable selectivelyoperable to move said bilge blocks in an outward transverse directionsimultaneously.

6. A dry dock as claimed in claim 5 wherein said cable has a first and asecond end, said first end connected to a first bilge block, thenceconnected around pulleys to cable driving means, thence connected at itssecond end around pulleys to said second bilge block whereby uponselective actuation of said driving means said bilge blocks areselectively urged simultaneously toward one another and away from oneanother.

7. The dry dock as claimed in claim 6 wherein said single cable isselectively operable to move said bilge blocks to one transverse side ofsaid dry dock.

8. The dry clock as claimed in claim 5 further comprising a plurality ofsaid tracks, each of said tracks having a first and a second bilgeblocks moveably positioned thereon each said first bilge block beingconnected to its complemental said second bilge blocks on the same trackby a single cable for each track selectively operable to move saidcomplemental bilge blocks in an outward transverse directionsimultaneously and an inward transverse direction simultaneously.

9. A dry dock as claimed in claim 8 wherein said single cables areselectively operable to move said bilge blocks in the same transversedirection simultaneously to a common side of said bottom portion.

10. The dry dock as claimed in claim 8 wherein said driving meansincludes a single driving power source selectively engaging each of saidsingle cables said source positioned on a single side of said bottomportion of said dry dock.

1. Reeving means for moving bilge blocks, comprising in combination: a.a first bilge block moveably positioned on a track; b. cable meansconnecting moveably said first bilge block to a second bilge blockmoveably mounted on said track; and c. said cable means furtherconnecting said first bilge block and said second bilge block to asingle powered cable moving source for moving said first bilge block andsaid second bilge block selectively toward each other and away from eachother upon actuation of said cable moving source.
 1. Reeving means formoving bilge blocks, comprising in combination: a. a first bilge blockmoveably positioned on a track; b. cable means connecting moveably saidfirst bilge block to a second bilge block moveably mounted on saidtrack; and c. said cable means further connecting said first bilge blockand said second bilge block to a single powered cable moving source formoving said first bilge block and said second bilge block selectivelytoward each other and away from each other upon actuation of said cablemoving source.
 2. Means as claimed in claim 1 wherein said cables meansinclude a cable connected to one side of said first bilge block andthreaded thence through a first pulley, said first pulley fixed to saidsecond bilge block, threaded thence through a second pulley stationarilyfixed, threaded thence through said powered cable moving source,threaded thence through a third pulley, said third pulley fixed to saidsecond bilge block, threaded thence through a fourth pulley stationarilyfixed, threaded thence through a fifth pulley stationarily fixed,connected thence to an opposite side of said first bilge block.
 3. Meansas claimed in claim 2 wherein said fourth pulley is fixed approximatelyat one end of said track, and said fifth pulley is fixed approximatelyat the opposite end of said track.
 4. Means as claimed in claim 3wherein said second pulley is fixed approximately at the same end ofsaid track as said fifth pulley.
 5. A dry dock for dry-docking a vessel,said dry dock including at least a bottom portion having a longitudinaldirection parallel to a lengthwise axis of a vessel to be supportedthereon, and a transverse direction parallel to an athwartship axis ofsaid vessel, said dry dock comprising: a. at least one track disposed ina transverse direction of said bottom portion; b. a first and a secondbilge blocks movably positioned on said track; and c. a single cableconnecting in a pulley system said bilge blocks and a selectivelyoperable cable driving means, said single cable selectively operable tomove said bilge blocks in an outward transverse directionsimultaneously.
 6. A dry dock as claimed in claim 5 wherein said cablehas a first and a second end, said first end connected to a first bilgeblock, thence connected around pulleys to cable driving means, thenceconnected at its second end around pulleys to said second bilge blockwhereby upon selective actuation of said driving means said bilge blocksare selectively urged simultaneously toward one another and away fromone another.
 7. The dry dock as claimed in claim 6 wherein said singlecable is selectively operable to move said bilge blocks to onetransverse side of said dry dock.
 8. The dry dock as claimed in claim 5further comprising a plurality of said tracks, each of said trackshaving a first and a second bilge blocks moveably positioned thereoneach said first bilge block being connected to its complemental saidsecond bilge blocks on the same track by a single cable for each trackselectively operable to move said complemental bilge blocks in anoutward transverse direction simultaneously and an inward transversedirEction simultaneously.
 9. A dry dock as claimed in claim 8 whereinsaid single cables are selectively operable to move said bilge blocks inthe same transverse direction simultaneously to a common side of saidbottom portion.